ISLAMABAD: Polls are only two weeks away but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has not yet received data about polling stations to be made in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Even the data compiled by Punjab is incomplete as it does not mention the location of polling stations to be set up in the province.

Under the law, district returning officers are required to publish in the gazette the list of polling stations in their jurisdiction at least 15 days before the polling day.

Sources told Dawn the ECP had so far received details of polling stations only from Punjab and posted them on its website. The list mentions constituency-wise number of polling stations, booths and staff, but does not give their exact locations.

The ECP needs the details for its key initiative which can be used by voters to find through the “8300” text messaging service the specific polling station where they are to cast their votes.

The ECP has received from various parts of the country complaints about the polling stations being made at ‘wrong’ locations. It has forwarded these complaints to the provincial election commissions (PECs) for examining them in the light of its instructions for preparation of the lists of polling stations by the ROs.

An ECP official said the commission would meet on Tuesday to discuss complaints about personal attacks made allegedly by some political leaders against their opponents in violation of the code of conduct. He said the meeting would watch video footage (of rallies where such remarks were made) to determine the extent of the code’s violation.

Meanwhile, the ECP announced on Saturday that election in the Sindh Assembly’s constituency PS-64 (Mirpurkhas-I) had been postponed because of the death of Waqar Buland Khan, one of the candidates running for the seat.

A notification issued by the commission said: “The returning officer concerned has terminated the proceedings relating to election to that constituency” and that “fresh proceedings will commence after the general elections and the schedule for the said constituency will be announced… in due course of time.”

The notification said it would not be mandatory for other candidates to file fresh nomination papers.

The PPP’s Hanif Memon, the PML-F’s Mukhtiar Narejo, Attaullah Haidri of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and Shabbir Qaimkhani of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement are in the race for the seat. Mr Khan was a PPP worker but had decided to contest the election as an independent candidate after the party leadership awarded ticket to Mr Memon.

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